bolton



May 19, 1931. BOLTON 1,806,536

APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE CONCENTRATION OF SOLUTIONS Filed June 6, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet -l Wig/W May 19, 1931.

J. A. BOLTON ,536 APPARATUS FOR REG ULATING THE CONCENTRATION OF SOLUTIONS Filed June 6, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 & fi\,

Patented May 19, 1931 UNITED STATES JOH'N ADAMS Borrow, or ,TIMIPERLEY, ENGLAND APPARATUS REGULATING THE CONCENTRATIONOF SOLUTIONS Application filed June '6, 1930, Serial No. 459,424, and in Great Britain April 20; 1929.

This invention relates to mercerizing,

bleaching or like industrial processes in which a liquor is employed, the concentration or.

strength of which must be maintained. The method generally adopted at the present time is to provide a supply of concentrated liquor and a control by which an operator may admit same at will, but such methods depend on the care andskill of the operator and are 10 inclined to produce irregular and varying results, as it is well known that such process is very sensitive to any change of concentration of the liquor.

The object of the invention'is an improved means to enable such concentration to be maintained and thereby to increase the efficiencyor control of the process.

-According to the invention, in apparatus for mercerizing, bleaching or like industrial processes in which a liquor is employed, means are provided for'automatically maintaining a predetermined concentration or strength of liquor, comprising a tank, means for continuously circulating the liquor through the tank,

means for maintaining a constant level of liquor in the tank, a hydrometer in said liquor in the tank and control mechanism operated by the movements of the hydrometer for admitting concentrated liquor to the circulatliquor. i

In one example of the invention, as applied to the process ofmercerizing fabrics, a pump and strainer are provided for circulating the liquor continuously in the mangle'tank, and

; a control tank .is provided in such circuit for the circulation of .the liquor positioned after the strainer and just before the pump. Said control tank is provided with means formaintaining a constant level and in the tank is a .40 hydrometer, preferably protected against the effect of eddies from the circulation of the liquor but nevertheless sufliciently exposed to render it immediately sensitive to any change in the Twaddell or concentration of the .45 liquor, of which the caustic soda content is being continuously absorbed by the cloth during the mercerizing process. The bydrometer is provided with, or connected to, electric switch cont-acts so that, when the hy- 5e drometer sinks with the weakening of the solution, an electric circuit will be completed which may be employed to open a valve and admit concentrated llquor to the circulating liquor until the concentration has caused the hydrometer to rise and break the said circuit or complete another circuitto close the valve. In this way the concentration may be maintained automatically within quite narrow limits, determined only by the sensitivity of the hydrometer and of the switch mechanism: employed therewith. The switch mechanism will preferably be arranged in a sealed or separate compartment so as to remove it from the effects of the liquor, and may be separated therefrom by a flexible diaphragm, such as rubber. Adjustment will also be provided for setting the mechanism to maintaina predetermined Twaddell and also for varying the limits of the control, as by raising or lowering the switch mechanism relative to the iydrometer, or by varying the level of the liquor, and the means for effecting such adjlustment may have a graduated operating c ial.

The control valve may be of the barrel type r and a quadrant and solenoid be provided for operating the same, either directly orthrough a relay circuit connected to the switch mechanism.

When'combined with apparatus for cooling the liquor, the additional caustic liquor will preferably be admitted with the cooled liquor as it enters themangle tank, so that it Will be mixed therein and so that the control takes immediate effect. If desired, the con-1 trol tank may also be positioned'at such plate, i. e. after the cooling of the liquor, but before the entry for the fresh liquor, so that with the control of the temperature the control of the hydrometer will be the'more accurate and sensitive andtheconcentration'of the liquor reestablished before it enters the mangle tank.

The switch mechanism, operated by the hydrometer, may if desired be such that a proportional control of the admission valve may .be obtained varyingwith the amplitude of the movements of the hydrometer and thus still more effectively maintain the Twaddell ofthe liquor.

The accompanying drawingsillustrate a constructional embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 is an elevation with the front of the tank removed.

Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional elevation of the switch.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of the layout of the several parts of the apparatus of an example of mercerizing plant em bodying the elements of the invention.

As illustrated, a is a control tank having an inlet 6 shielded by a baflle 0, the top of which is above the liquid level and which extends nearly to the bottom of the tank. On the side of the tank is an outlet connection cl having a weir e for the purpose of maintaining a constant level in the tank. On another side of the tank and away from both the inlet and outlet but relatively between them is the Twaddell regulating mechanism comprising a hydrometer f of Monel metal supported in a lower guide 9 secured to the side of the tank above the level of the liquid and in an upper adjustable combined guide and contact switch. The tank is divided by a horizontal liquid-tight plate above the lower guide for the hydrometer, for the purpose of protecting the switch and control mechanism from the effects of the fluid. The upper guide comprises a clamping ring it secured to a slide j running in a guide 70 fixed to the tank wall.

The slide 7' is also formed with a toothed rack m engaging a pinion n, which latter is mounted on a spindle in the wall of the tank and has at its outer end an operating knob 0 with pointed p coacting with a dial 9.

Details of the clamping ring 72. are shown in Fig. 3, in which are shown an end contact piece 1" secured to the end of the hydrometer, having an electric connecting wire 8 and an annular insertion t of insulating material. The upper portion of the end piece 1" above the insulation is slightly enlarged conically for reasons hereafter explained. Within the clamping ring it is a vulcanite insulating disc u carrying a contact disc 41. The upper end of the hydrometer is a sliding fit in the insulating disc, which forms a guide therefor, and its movements therein are limited in one direction by a stop pin w in the end of the hydrometer and by the tapered head of the end piece of the hydrometer.

In operation, the fiuid is pumped into the tank and flows out therefrom over the weir outlet so that a constant level is maintained, the bafile c preventing undue turbulence due to the inflow of the liquid. The knob is set to the dial reading of the required Twaddell and thereby the upper combined guide and contact switch is raised or lowered to a predetermined position. Should the Twaddell of the liquid be too low then the hydrometer will sink in the fluid relative to the upper guide and the upper portion of the end piece r of the hydrometer will make contact with the contact disc 42 held in the clamping ring h. This contact completes an electric circuit to operate avalve w (see Fig. 4:), through suitable solenoid m to open the valve admitting concentrated liquor from a tank y so as to enter and mix with the liquor in circulation to the mangle tank 2. The circulating system also comprises a filter 2 and pump .2

By providing a series of contacts the switch may be made to open the valve to several positions so that progressive control of the valve is obtainable, giving a more sensitive operation. The switch may be constructed to operate for reducing as well as increasing the Twaddell automatically, a supply of diluting water and similar valve mechanism being provided.

The invention is not confined to the particular application above described or to the constructional example given which may be varied without departing from the nature of the invention, for example, although electrical control is preferable as being the most practicable and sensitive, other means might be adopted, also the disposition and arrangement of the circulation system may be varied as required. The invention can be applied direct to the mangle tank, without a circulating system, or with a circulating system, but without temperature control, but the best results are obtainable where the benefit of both temperature and Twaddell control are provided.

What I claim is An apparatus for regulatingasolution comprising hydrometer means, a tank to receive the solution to be regulated, a hydrometer disposed to be acted upon by the said solution, means for supplying material to the solution, electrical control means therefor comprising an adjustable member having a guide opening through which the hydrometer passes and guiding and limiting the movement of the hydrometer, a slide carrying the adjustable member, guiding means for the slide, and op erating means for manually raising and lowering the slide.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN ADAMS BOLTON. 

